Where I write about running, marathons, Home Ownership, DIY projects, marriage, raising twins, growing up Polish and other Mysteries of Life

Monday, March 19, 2012

We tried looking at houses, but the Open Houses Weren't

We had a very relaxing weekend. Nightingale had a knot on her shoulder blade of epic proportion and was in need of a professional massage. We found a Groupon Now that essentially gave us two-for-one pricing on an hour long massage and they were able make it a couples massage so we didn't have to wait for one another.

The spa wasn't too far from us and afterwards since it was such a nice day, we decided to take a walk through Lincoln Square. It's really cool how vibrant it is there. When I was condo shopping, I was already priced out and property value for some reason has remained relatively stable there. We know we could not get a SFH there in our price range today, even at post-boom prices. And that's okay because LS is a nice place to visit, but I don't want to live there.

In the evening we were supposed to get together with DrDrea and her fiance after their pre-cana class. There was a text message and then nothing more. We figure the finance was beat and didn't want to do anything. Our other option was to drive to the suburbs for a bonfire. Instead we opted to clean out the DVR.

On Sunday we went to look at some houses. The first one was in Portage Park, near the famous Six Corners intersection. While Portage Park is one of the nabes we'd like to move to, this house was located the furthest east I could probably live with living and still make it work for work, commuting wise.

By European living, they mean you live right next door to Family Food Market. So on the plus side you can literally shop for your meals the same day. On the down side, we watched as several cars parked on the permit only street and ran into the store, stepping all over our would-be lawn in the process. This was probably the main reason we will probably take a pass. It was priced right and staged well. And the owners definitely make good use of all the available space and the configuration. The basement probably couldn't really be converted into a true man cave or rec room. The attic was a one room studio that could potentially be converted into a spa bathroom. I think if the house were just a few blocks west and north, we might think about it more.

The other house was a Victorian in Norwood Park. Nightingale really likes this area. It would work for me in terms of commute. The only drawback is the walkability score is kinda low. You do need to drive to get to places. They were having an open house but when we got there the sign on the door indicated it was canceled because of a death in the family.

There was another open house around the corner and I had intended to check it out if time permitted, even though it was $250K over our maximum price range. If nothing else, it would have shown the difference in features and amenities in the different price points. Alas, that one two was mysteriously canceled. Perhaps they had no visits and closed early. Or perhaps the wonderful weather caused them to play hookey.

In the evening DrDrea and her man came over for drinks, corned beef & cabbage and commiseration. She is having bridesmaids issues. I may write more on that and our own wedding party issues in a future post, so stay tuned....